Washington, D.C. — As the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to move ahead with the nominations of 44 candidates to serve lifetime appointments on the federal bench, and the confirmation of William Barr to become attorney general, Sam Berger, vice president of Democracy and Government Reform at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:

The Trump administration is continuing its rush to pack the federal courts with ideological extremists who are far outside the mainstream on issues that impact our most fundamental rights and liberties. Many of these candidates have deeply troubling records, yet Senate leadership has made a mockery of long-standing practices meant to ensure they are fully vetted. Several were nominated despite opposition from their home-state senators. Others faced hearings during a Senate recess when no member of the minority party was even present. And multiple nominees were often packed into a single hearing, leaving little time for probing questions. This farce has one goal: to stack the courts with politicians in robes.